PREVIEW: Champions Cup, Round Four

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: After a tough weekend last time out in the European Champions Cup, Harlequins are the first of the Premiership sides looking to turn the tables in Round Four.

John Kingston’s side headline a packed Friday schedule across both the Champions and Challenge Cups as the second set of the back-to-back fixtures get underway.

Quins were downed in the snow at the Stoop by Ulster last Saturday, but get their immediate chance for revenge at the Kingspan.

There are few tougher trips than to Belfast under the Friday night lights, and Kingston has already conceded that his side are out of contention for the knockout stages in a competitive Pool One.

Ahead of the match, the Harlequins Director of Rugby said: "We were extremely disappointed to lose to Ulster at home last Sunday; ending our chances of qualification into the quarterfinals of the competition.

"That said, we are really looking forward to the match on Friday night and will be demanding a positive performance ahead of our return to the Premiership."

Quins will be without some of their international contingent, Chris Robshaw and Danny Care are suffering from head injuries while Joe Marler also picked up a knock.

Mike Brown and Tim Visser are on the bench but the likes of Marcus Smith and Jamie Roberts start in the back line and Kyle Sinckler – who scored a try against Ulster on Saturday – and skipper Dave Ward up front all start.

The clubs have met four times previously, each winning two apiece. However, Ulster's two victories have come in their most recent with Harlequins including last weekend. Ulster have scored 19 points in each of their last two home games against Premiership opposition, enough for a one-point win over Exeter and a 10 point win against Wasps. Quins have won just twice on eight previous trips to Ireland, beating Ulster in 1996/97 and Connacht in Round Two of the 2012/13 season. The last time Ulster won a Round Three game away from home they then went on to lose the reverse fixture at home in Round Four (2012/13 v Northampton Saints).

Glasgow have lost just one of the five previous meetings between the clubs (won three, drew one). However, that defeat was at Scotstoun in Round Three. This will be the third time Montpellier have hosted the Warriors, but they are yet to beat them at Altrad Stadium (drew one, lost one). Having won just once on their first 14 visits to France. Glasgow have now won twice on their last four excursions, including a 23-14 win over Racing 92 in their last such fixture. Glasgow are enduring their worst start to a Champions Cup campaign since losing their opening five pool games in 2012/13.

Scarlets have won four of the previous five meetings between the clubs, scoring over 30 points in each of those four victories. Benetton are unbeaten in their last three games when they have hosted Welsh opposition, all of these games coming against Ospreys. However, Scarlets have lost their last 10 away games in the Champions Cup, but they have picked up losing bonus points in their last two such fixtures. The Welsh region are aiming to win successive games for the first time since the opening two rounds of the 2011/12 season.

Last weekend, Leinster became the first side to win at Sandy Park since Bordeaux-Bègles in Round Three last season (including Premiership matches). There were just 15 points scored when the clubs last met in Dublin, only once before have Leinster played out a lower scoring game at home (9-3 v Bordeaux in 1998/99). Exeter are still searching for their first Champions Cup win in Ireland, they did however beat Connacht in the Challenge Cup in January 2015. The 2004/05 season was the last time Leinster won their opening four pool games.

This will be just the second meeting between the clubs in Europe, with Castres winning the first encounter in Round Three by 16-13. Racing have won all three previous matches when hosting Top 14 opposition in the Champions Cup. Similarly, Castres have lost both of their previous two away games against French opposition, losing to Perpignan in December 2006 and Montpellier 10 years later in December 2016. Since reaching the 2016 final Racing have won just twice (lost seven) and scored an average of 15 points per match.

Toulon have won all three matches between the clubs. However, the margin of victory has been between three and five points on each occasion. Bath have won just twice on the last seven occasions they have hosted a Top 14 side, the last team to visit being Toulon in 2015/16 (lost 14-19). Despite averaging just 14 points and only once scoring 20+ points, Toulon have still won five of eight games against Premiership opposition in England. They have both scored and conceded 114 points across those eight fixtures. Toulon have won three from three to date, but those wins have all come by fewer than five points.

This will be the second meeting between the clubs after La Rochelle defeated Wasps 49-29 in Round Three. This was Wasps' heaviest defeat since Round Two v Leinster (41-11) in 2008/09. La Rochelle won their first Champions Cup game in England against Harlequins in Round One. Previously, they had won just one of eight Challenge Cup games on English soil. Wasps drew their last game in France (v Toulouse). Wasps have lost twice already this season, and the last time they lost three pool games in the same campaign was in the 2005/06 season.

Ospreys' win in Round Three ended a run of four consecutive defeats against Northampton. Each of the previous five meetings between the clubs has been decided by margins of more than 10 points. Northampton have lost their last five away games, conceding an average of 36 points and scoring an average of just 13. Ospreys have won just one of their last five home games when hosting Premiership opposition. However, that was their last such game (v Exeter in Round One, 2015/16). Ospreys are aiming to win successive matches in the same season for the first time since a run of three victories in 2009/10 (Rounds Two, Three and Four).

ASM Clermont Auvergne have won six of the nine meetings between the clubs, including a 46-14 victory in Round Three – Saracens heaviest European defeat. Clermont have won their two previous home games against Saracens, with both wins coming by double digit margins. In fact, the Top 14 champions have won their last 12 home games against Premiership opposition. Sale Sharks in 2008/09 were the last English club to win at Marcel-Michelin. Alivereti Raka ran in a hat-trick at Allianz Park, the first time a Clermont player has scored three tries in a match since Round Five in 2011/12 when Julien Malzieu and Sitiveni Sivivatu both crossed three times against Aironi.

Each of the last four meetings between the clubs has been won by the home side on the day with Munster's last victory at Welford Road coming in Round One, 2006/07. Tigers have lost just two of their last 36 home games, those defeats coming at the hands of Glasgow and Ulster. Munster have gone three games unbeaten on the road, they've not got on a longer such run since a run of five wins between December 2005 and January 2007. Only once in Munster's last 13 games have they conceded 20+ points (10-26 defeat to Saracens in last season's semifinal).

Ospreys up to second with Saints win

CHAMPIONS CUP REPORT: Ospreys claimed second place in Champions Cup Pool 2 with their second bonus-point 32-15 win in a week over Northampton Saints.

Rhys Webb scored two tries and there was one apiece from Dmitri Arhip and Justin Tipuric as the Welsh region went two points ahead of Saracens, who went down 21-24 at leaders ASM Clermont Auvergne.

It was the prop Arhip who gave the hosts a blistering start, finishing off in the corner after Tom Habberfield's thrilling run.

Harry Mallinder scuppered a great chance for a quick reply with a delayed final pass and two Sam Davies penalty gave Ospreys an 11-0 lead after a rather scrappy first half.

There was hope for Saints after a difficult week when Piers Francis' cross-kick was knocked down by Ashee Tuala and Mallinder curled himself into a ball to avoid touch on his way over the line.

A Francis penalty then reduced arrears to 11-8, but Ospreys then turned up the heat, replacement Webb touching down, before a lovely move was finished off by Tipuric.

Webb grabbed his second, and the bonus point, soon afterwards. A Reece Marshall close-range try in injury time barely raised a smile from the men in green.

Ospreys' bid to reach the quarter-finals rests on a home game with Saracens in mid-January before they travell to Clermont in their final fixture. Northampton have now lost all four of their Pool 2 fixtures.